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source: DIY.com
INTERIOR PAINTING
No special skills are needed in order to paint and decorate successfully
- attention to detail is the key to it all.
Even when working just a couple of feet off the floor, always use
a strong stepladder - never stand on a chair or other 'hop-up'.
Use protective clothing when necessary.
Painting is a cheap and easy way to give your home a new look.
To get the best results when painting, choose good materials and
equipment; keep brushes and other tools clean and in good condition.
Never skimp on preparation work or you'll be disappointed with the
finished results. Take time to rub down surfaces properly and fill
cracks and holes neatly. Only start painting when surfaces are smooth,
clean and dry.
2 - Preparing a room
Clear as much furniture from the room as possible. Whatever has
to remain should be gathered in the middle of the floor. Vacuum
the room thoroughly. Use dustsheets to cover furniture and floor
coverings.
Remove all fixtures and fittings from walls and doors. In the long
run, it is far quicker to do this rather than to try and paint around
them, which leads to paint runs and smudging on the fitting itself.
With electrical fittings, turn off the power before loosening switches,
ceiling roses, etc.
Mask off window-panes and woodwork using masking tape, newspaper
and polythene dustsheets.
3
- Preparing walls and ceilings
If there are any damp patches on walls and ceilings, find out the
cause and remedy it first. There's no point in trying to paint over
dampness, because it will probably cause the paint to flake off
quickly and the damp patch will seep through again anyway. When
the damp patch has dried, it should be primed with a damp seal.
Watermarks will seep through even several coats of emulsion.
Use sugar soap or mild detergent and a large decorator's sponge
to wash down all surfaces, starting with the ceiling. Rinse thoroughly,
but do not saturate the surfaces. Allow to dry before painting.
Make sure that electrical fittings are protected from water. Plaster
surfaces tarnished by nicotine stains need to be coated with a stain
block or nicotine block before painting.
In older houses, you can still find walls and ceilings coated with
distemper, and paint will not adhere to this. You can tell if this
is the case, because the powdery coating will come off when you
wash down the surface. Distemper is best removed. Wet the distemper
thoroughly with water and remove with a nylon-scouring pad, or for
thicker layers, scrape off as much of it as possible. Use a stabilising
solution over the area to bind any last traces of distemper.
Ceiling paper that is sound and well adhered can remain and be painted.
Any loose edges can be stuck back with wallpaper adhesive or overlap
adhesive and allowed to dry before painting. Loose or bubbled paper
has to be stripped off. Remember that paper may have been applied
to a wall or ceiling to hide minor cracks that are superficial but
unsightly. If necessary, you may need to re-paper.
4 - Cracks and holes
Use interior filler to fill any small cracks and holes in plaster.
Use a flexible filling knife to force the filler into the hole
Leave the filler slightly proud of the surface, allow it to dry,
then rub it smooth with dry sandpaper wrapped around a wooden block.
You may need to repeat the process in some areas for a really smooth
finish.
Larger holes and cracks are more economically filled with deep-repair
filler, or a plaster filler. Check manufacturer's instructions for
use - a larger crack may have to be filled in a couple of stages.
Any loose plaster should be chipped off first. Where a surface is
sound but covered with a network of crazed superficial cracks, you
can use a textured flexible paint, or first hang lining paper. Alternatively,
use a textured wallcovering that is specifically made to be overpainted
and ideal for uneven walls.
5 - Preparing woodwork
If existing paintwork is in a sound condition, there is no need
to strip it off - it will make a good base for the new paint. The
only exception is where a thick coat of paint is causing windows
or doors to jam.
If the paint is to remain, then it should be washed down with sugar
soap and water to remove all traces of dust, grease and stains.
Rinse thoroughly.
Rub down the surface with medium-grade sandpaper, or an orbital
sander fitted with a medium-grade sanding sheet. This roughens the
surface, giving a good key for the new paint to adhere to. Always
wear a facemask when sanding (please refer to the section 'Lead
in Paint').
Finally, wipe over the surface with a lint-free rag moistened with
white spirit. Use a pointed stick to get the rag into corners where
dust can be trapped - it may be picked up on the brush and spread
across the surface to leave a pimply effect on the dried paintwork.
Don't forget to clean out keyholes and the top edges of doors where
dirt and dust can be picked up on the brush.
Paintwork that has the odd chip or crack need not be stripped off.
Fill any chips and holes with interior filler or a wood filler and
sand it flush with the surface when the filler has dried.
If the paintwork is in bad condition and has lots of cracks and
flaking areas, then it is best to strip it off back to bare wood.
You can strip paint by dry sanding, with a chemical paint stripper
or with a heat gun. Dry sanding with sandpaper is not recommended
for anything other than the smallest area, and even then it is advisable
to wear a facemask. Chemical stripper, in the form of pastes, gels
and liquids, is best where you suspect that the old paint may have
contained lead. See the section 'Lead in paint' for details. However,
it is a much lengthier process than using heat, and more costly.
A hot-air gun melts the thickest paint coat so that it can be scraped
off with a shave hook. It is best to use a chemical stripper near
to windows where heat can crack the glass. Bare wood should be rubbed
down with medium sandpaper or an electric sander.
Bare wood will need treating before painting. Knots must be treated
with knotting. This prevents the resin seeping out and staining
the paintwork. To seal the surface, use a wood primer before undercoating
and then painting your surface.
6 - Preparing varnish
Like paint, there is no need to strip sound varnish. If it needs
to come off then remove it just like paintwork. Fill any holes and
cracks with woodfiller, sand down surfaces lightly, wipe over with
white spirit and then start varnishing.
7 - Preparing metal
Iron or steel windows can rust, and if this is happening all traces
need to be removed. Small patches can be treated with emery cloth
or wire wool, but larger areas need wire brushing, either with a
hand-held brush or a wire cup brush fitted to an electric drill.
Always wear a facemask and safety goggles.
Rust can reform overnight, so fill any holes with a filler suitable
for metal, then apply a coat of metal primer as soon as possible.
Aluminium just needs to be washed with sugar soap and rubbed down
with medium-grade sandpaper. There are various primers available,
for both ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
8 - Painting ceilings and walls
Bare plaster needs to be sealed before applying emulsion paint.
This can be done with a plaster sealer, dilute PVA sealer, or a
diluted coat of emulsion. You do not need to prime a surface that
has been painted previously, except the areas you have had to fill
and repair.
Always plan to decorate a ceiling or a complete wall in one work
session. If you take a break and the paint dries, a paint line will
show where you stopped and restarted.
Start painting at the main window and work back into and around
the room. This makes it easier to see what you are doing.
If using a roller, first paint a narrow band, using a brush, along
all edges and into corners where the roller won't reach; this is
called cutting in. Brushes are best held like a pen and paint applied
with even strokes.
Do
not dip your brush too far into the paint, a third of the brushes
bristles is enough. Make sure you feather the edges of the paint
so you do not leave a hard edge that is difficult to blend and cover.
Tip some paint into the well of the roller tray and load the roller
by dipping and rolling it in the paint and running it backwards
and forwards on the slope of the tray, completely and evenly covering
the roller sleeve.
Now apply the paint with the roller in a zigzag motion over the
surface and work systematically across the room. Paint the ceiling
in 600mm (2ft) bands, and on walls work downwards from the top to
the skirting.
Paint pads are also used in zigzag directions, working quickly to
join up wet edges.
9
- Painting woodwork
Always use a primer on bare wood first to help seal the surface. Where
a surface has already been painted, use the undercoat colour recommended
by the manufacturers of your chosen gloss or satin paint. In some
cases it might require a second undercoat to completely obliterate
the old paint. It is important that you do this or the colour will
show through the new coat of paint. When each coat has dried, sand
down lightly with medium-grade sandpaper and wipe with a lint-free
cloth moistened with white spirit, before applying the next coat.
When painting woodwork, apply the paint with the grain and then, without
reloading the brush, work it across the grain, and finish with the
grain. Then reload and move on to the next section, joining up wet
edges quickly. Do not over brush areas that have already started to
dry.
Start painting window frames from the edge closest to the glass and
work outwards. If an open window is a security risk, complete it early
in the day so that it is dry for closing by night. Use a 25mm (1in)
and 50mm (2in) brush for covering narrow and wider sections, respectively.
It is recommended to take a margin of about 3mm of paint onto the
glass - this prevents condensation running down into the frame causing
it to rot. Masking tape stuck in place on the glass, or a paint shield,
will ensure a neat finish around window frames.
Paint a flush door using a 75mm (3in) wide brush or a small foam roller.
Start at the top corner of the hinge side and work in square sections
across and down the door, finishing at the bottom corner on the handle
side.
With a panelled door, it is best to work with a couple of brushes
- a 25mm (1in) one for mouldings and a 50mm (2in) or foam roller for
the wider areas. First paint the moulded areas around the panel then
paint in the panels. Then paint in the centre verticals, followed
by the cross rails. Finish off by painting the outside verticals followed
by the edge of the door.
10
- Painting radiators
The best paints to use are special radiator enamels, as these will
give you a tough and durable surface that will not discolour with
the heat. However, solvent-based gloss or satin can also be used to
good effect. Only paint a radiator when it is cold and don't turn
it back on until the paint is thoroughly dried. There may be a paint
smell initially when the radiator is warmed, but this will soon dissipate.
Don't paint the radiator connections and valves.
It is not recommended to use emulsion paint or some water-based paints
on radiators as they are not tough enough. There are now, however,
some water-based paints available that can be used to paint walls
and woodwork, as well as radiators. Always follow the instructions
on the tin for individual products.
11 - Lead in paint
Up
until the mid-sixties, lead was used in some kinds of paint, especially
those use on wood and metal work. This is a hazardous substance, especially
for young children and pregnant women, and should always be handled
with care. Lead can be absorbed into the body through the skin or
by inhalation of dust particles. The danger occurs if the paintwork
is loose and flaking, or if it is likely to get knocked, chewed or
scratched by a child or a pet. This could potentially release lead
dust into the house.
If your house was built after the sixties, it is unlikely that paint
containing lead was used. But any house built before the sixties,
even if it has been painted since then, most likely has some lead-based
painted woodwork. If you are in any doubt, there are lead-testing
kits available that are quick and easy to use.
If your old painted surface is in good condition - not flaking or
chipped - it is best left alone. You can paint over this surface sealing
the old paint in.
If it is necessary to remove the old paint, then the best way to do
this is to use a liquid chemical paint stripper, as this will not
release harmful dust.
You
can also use a hot-air gun, but use only enough heat to soften the
paint - burning it will release fumes. Set your heat gun to below
450 °C
-
Do
not use an electric sander
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Wear
protective clothing and a suitable facemask
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Clear
the room as much as possible
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Seal
the work area from the rest of the house and cover carpets
-
Open
windows for plenty of ventilation
-
Keep
other people away from the working area - especially children
and pregnant women
-
When
taking a break, store the clothes you have been wearing in a
sealed bag and wash any bare skin carefully as soon as you finish
working
-
Do
not eat or drink while you are working
-
When
most of the paint has been removed, moisten the surface and
smooth it with wet-and-dry paper - not sandpaper
-
When
the paint has been removed, collect all paint peelings as you
work and put them in a sealed plastic bag for collection by
your refuse collector
-
Clean
the room with water and detergent. Hire an industrial-standard
vacuum cleaner (British Standard 5415) to clean carpets and
to make sure all traces of dust are removed from the house
If you are not confident about dealing with lead in paint correctly
and safely, call in a reputable, professional decorating firm.
source: visit DIY.com for all
your decorating needs!
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